Employment in the Lean Years

Policy and Prospects for the Next Decade

Edited by David Marsden

Contributions from leading experts with firsthand experience of how public policy works

International contributions for a wider global comparison

In depth analysis of specific areas in each chapter

Three main sections: employment, immigration, and housing; low pay and minimum wage; pay and incentives in the public and private sectors

Employment in the Lean Years

Policy and Prospects for the Next Decade

Edited by David Marsden

Description

Over the last fifteen years, the deregulation of Britain's labor market has led to economic growth, employment opportunities, and a more diverse workforce: the "fat years". However, now as Britain faces its lean years with job cuts, rising unemployment, income insecurity, and related social strains, how can and should the government and key labor market policy makers ensure the labor market provides job opportunities and reasonable levels of social justice?

The fundamental changes that have occurred in labor market institutions mean that 'solutions' of previous decades no longer work. This volume sets out to address the major challenges faced:

- Unemployment, immigration, housing and job subsidies - Key institutional changes, such as the decline of collective regulation, rise of occupational licensing, and the National Minimum Wage - Pay and subsidies in the private and public sector

Contributions from leading experts in the field employ the latest theory and empirical research to examine a different set of problems and the policies that could help to resolve them.

Employment in the Lean Years

Policy and Prospects for the Next Decade

Edited by David Marsden

Table of Contents

0. Preface, Richard Layard1. Introduction, David MarsdenPart I: Employment, Immigration, and Housing 2. The European Unemployment Challenge, Stephen Nickell3. Immigration and the UK Labour Market, Jonathan Wadsworth4. Migration and its Impact on Housing Costs, Christine M.E. Whitehead5. Job Guarantees for the Unemployed: Evidence and Design, Paul Gregg6. Individualization and Growing Diversity of Employment Relationships, William Brown and David Marsden7. How Does Government Regulate Occupations in the UK and US? Issues and Policy Implications, Amy Humphris, Morris M. Kleiner, and Maria KoumentaPart II: Low Pay and Minimum Wages 8. Occupational Licensing in the UK: the Case of the Private Security Industry, SueFernie9. The National Minimum Wage after a Decade, Mark B. Stewart10. Minimum Wages and Wage Inequality, Alan Manning11. Changing Wage Structures: Trends and Explanations, Stephen Machin12. Education, Training, Skills, and an International Perspective, Anna VignolesPart III: Pay and Incentives in the Public and Private Sectors 13. Weak Incentives: When and Why, John Roberts14. Modernization, Privatization, and the Public Service Ethos in the UK, Maria Koumenta15. The Future of Public Sector Pay in the United Kingdom, Richard Disney16. At the Public Convenience?: How Should We Set Public Sector Pay and How Should We Change it?, A. N. Other

Employment in the Lean Years

Policy and Prospects for the Next Decade

Edited by David Marsden

Author Information

David Marsden is Professor of Industrial Relations at the London School of Economics, and a member of the Centre for Economic Performance. He has carried out extensive research on labor markets and human resources in Europe, and has advised many public bodies including the European Commission, the ILO and the OECD as well as in Britain

Contributors:

Richard Layard, London School of EconomicsStephen Nickell, Nuffield College, University of OxfordJonathan Wadsworth, Department of Economics, Royal Holloway , University of LondonChristine M.E. Whitehead, Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political SciencePaul Gregg, School of Economics, Finance, and Management, the University of BristolWilliam Brown, Darwin College, University of CambridgeAmy Humphris, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political ScienceMorris M. Kleiner, University of MinnesotaSue Fernie, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political ScienceMark B. Stewart, Department of Economics, University of WarwickAlan Manning, Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political ScienceStephen Machin, Department of Economics, University College LondonAnna Vignoles, Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education, University of LondonJohn Roberts, Graduate School of Business, Stanford UniversityMaria Koumenta, Business School, Oxford Brookes UniversityRichard Disney, Nottingham University